The economic destruction of Michigan continues.
As I write this, I am looking out my front window and observing my neighbors across the street load up a Ryder truck. They have decided not to pay their mortgage and are abandoning their home.
Two days ago, the superintendent of the school district in which I teach announced a raft of Christmastime teacher layoffs - I survived - and noted that there will likely be a mid-year realignment of student and teacher class schedules to make up for the loss.
Oh, and the only retail bookstore in my town, Waldenbooks, is about to close.
Bookstore Closing
Now I know that some will chuckle that I am mourning the loss of a Waldenbooks. It is not even close to being the world's best bookstore. The selection is kind of limited. And the mall-based chain is just about as comfortable to read in as the chip aisle at Walgreen's.
However...
It is our town's only retail bookstore. And this is a town of about 25,000 people. And it's an area that certainly needs a good bookstore. Only 11% of the county population has earned at least a bachelors degree. The closest big box bookstores are in Ann Arbor and Toledo, both 40 minutes away.
It just seems to me that a strong and progressive population needs good sources of information.
And there are other worrisome trends.
The State of Michigan recently passed a budget which cuts funds to local libraries by 40%:
MI: 40% Library Cut
That state budget also abolished the state Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Take a look at the online headstone here:
MHAL Online Headstone
And I have noticed something like economic redlining present in many Michigan communities. The New York Times is not sold anywhere in the county. The demographics must not be good enough. Of course, the Wall Street Journal is sold even in the most out-of-the-way truck stops.
The area will never have a Barnes and Noble, a Borders, a Whole Foods or even a halfway-decent newstand. The demographics just aren't there.
And I understand this. Businesses exist to a large degree to make money. However, demographics become self-reinforcing based on business decisions. Educational levels are low, so bookstores don't build here. This means that people who enjoy bookstores don't move here. Which means that we have a demographically low level of college attainment. See the circle?
Of course, this post is not really about bookstores at all. There are some places in this world where people can buy a New York Times and visit a Barnes and Noble and shop at an organic grocery store.
And there are places where these things do not exist, even for the most progressive elements of a population.
And, unfortunately, my area is one of those places.
And the bookstore is closing down.